Princess Cruises vs. Norwegian Cruise Line

Princess Cruises

• 15 ships, (17 by the end of 2025); one built before 2000

• Smallest: Coral Princess (2,000 passengers)

• Largest: New Sun Princess debuting in 2024 (4,300 passengers), followed by Sky Princess, Enchanted Princess, and Discovery Princess (all with 3,660 passengers)

• Oldest: Grand Princess (1998)

Norwegian Cruise Line

• 18 ships (23 by end of 2027); two built before 2000

• Smallest: Norwegian Sky (1,928 passengers)

• Largest: Norwegian Escape (4,266 passengers), Norwegian Epic (4,100 passengers), and Norwegian Bliss (4,002 passengers)

• Oldest: Norwegian Spirit (1998), Norwegian Sky (1999)

Princess Cruises

• Pricing is in line with industry averages, but sales are offered frequently

• Cruise fares include almost one-half of the alternative dining venues on all ships

• Pricing includes all theater entertainment

• Pricing options available: standard (no extras included), Princess Plus (plus beverage package, Wi-Fi for one device per guest, gratuities, two premium desserts per day, and two fitness classes per cruise), and Princess Premier (premier beverage package, Wi-Fi for four devices per guest, gratuities, unlimited premier desserts and fitness classes, and reserved production show seats)

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Prices are generally similar to industry averages (sometimes a tad lower), but the line is known for charging extra for a wide range of things onboard

• Cruise fare includes less than half of the restaurants offered onboard

• Unlike most cruise ships where for-fee restaurants carry a cover charge, all for-fee eateries, minus two, are a la carte (priced per item), with prices comparable to pricey land-based restaurants

• All entertainment included (except for lunch and dinner shows, both of which are only available on select ships)

• Offers Free at Sea fares that include open bar (tips are extra), a specialty dining package (based on length of cruise and cabin category; tips are extra), Wi-Fi and shore excursion credits. Free at Sea Plus, boosts each of the four perks for an additional fee

Princess Cruises

• Caribbean and Alaska sailings draw families, couples and groups of friends in most age brackets, but with the bulk of passengers a bit older than on NCL

• Extended (15+ nights), exotic and world itineraries (primarily offered on Diamond Princess, Sapphire Princess, Sky Princess, Island Princess and Coral Princess) pull in a larger 55-plus crowd, including many in the 70 and up range

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Popular with families and couples, ages 35 to 65

• Larger number of solo cruisers on ships that feature Studio rooms (Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore and Pride of America)

Princess Cruises

• Cruises out of 10 North American mainland ports as well as 23 additional global ports depending on season, with no ships staying at a single port year-round

• Sails Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii itineraries from the U.S.

• Has private island experience (Princess Cays, Bahamas)

• Offers one of the strongest Alaska cruise (with optional land) program in the industry. Often with as many as seven ships in the region for an extended season

• Sails European cruises three-quarters of the year, including Northern Europe, Mediterranean and Baltic itineraries from several European ports

• Operates world cruises

• Has ships sailing in Asia year-round and almost the full year in Australia and the South Pacific

• Exotic cruises include South Pacific, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South America, Antarctica and the Arctic

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Sails from 15 ports on the North American mainland on a regular basis

• Sails from 46 additional ports across the globe

• Offers Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico and Alaska itineraries

• Has private island experiences (Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas; Harvest Caye, Belize)

• Offers seasonal Mediterranean and Northern Europe itineraries

• Only major cruise line to sail year-round all-Hawaiian island cruises departing from Hawaii

• Exotic itineraries include South America, as well as Asia, Australia, India, the Middle East, the Arctic and Antarctica

Princess Cruises

• Five main room categories, divided into as many as 12 sub-categories to choose from

• Distinctive room options include oceanview suites, mini-suites without a balcony, and Sky suites with 700-square-foot balconies (select ships only)

• Extensive suite perk program including priority embarkation/debarkation, afternoon canapes, specialty dining mimosa breakfast, and access to Reserve Dining room or a Reserve section of the main dining room (depending on ship) for dinner each night

• Limited family room choices include regular rooms with connecting doors, as well as family suites with full baths on select ships

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Cabin sizes are comparable to industry standards, though balconies on the Breakaway-class ships are notably small

• Seven main cabin categories, subdivided into as many as fifteen room types, depending on the ship

• Seven ships offer Studio cabins, which are sized and priced for solo cruisers

• Select ships have spa cabins, which come with free access to the onboard saunas and steam room

• More than half of the fleet have the exclusive, key-card-access, top-deck Haven suite complex, which features a private courtyard and pool; of these ships, six also have a private lounge and dining room for suite passengers

• Suite privileges include priority embarkation, debarkation and tender boarding; butler and concierge service; a suites-only breakfast location; complimentary sparkling wine, fruit and bottled water on embarkation day; and free daily canapes

Princess Cruises

• One to three main dining rooms, all serving through the flexible Dine My Way program

• Growing selection of alternative restaurants on most ships; some like International Cafe are included in the cruise fare, while others such as the Salty Dog Gastropub cost extra

• Specialty for-fee restaurants generally include a steakhouse, Italian and sushi, most with a flat cover charge

• Partnership with three-Micheline Star Chef Emmanuel Renaut and the “Duck Master” Chef Richard Chen

• Food and drinks can be ordered for delivery throughout the ship using OceanNow

• Passengers in balcony rooms can take advantage of the for-fee Ultimate Balcony Dining, an in-room, fine-dining experience

• At least one formal night per sailing (5 or more nights) requiring passengers to dress up for dinner (or eat in the buffet where casual dress is acceptable)

Norwegian Cruise Line

• No early or late dinner seatings; instead, you can eat in any of the restaurants at any time during open hours (reservations for specialty restaurants are encouraged)

• Most ships have two free alternative eateries: one Asian-style (lunch, dinner) and one pub/restaurant (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

• All ships have four to six extra-fee specialty restaurants including a steak, Italian, French, Japanese hibachi, Brazilian and sushi restaurant; all but the hibachi and Brazilian eateries are priced per item

• Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class ships feature The Waterfront, an outdoor space along the promenade on Deck 8 offering alfresco seating for several of the ships' bars and restaurants

• One “dress up or not” night on weeklong sailings

Princess Cruises

• Most ships have at least three pools, including a less-trafficked aft pool, and a minimum of five hot tubs; several ships also have a pool with a retractable roof

• Silly poolside games on sea days on ships sailing in the Caribbean

• Adults-only Sanctuary (some with pool) offers a quiet sun deck/pool alternative for a half-day or full-day fee

• Movie showings daily on upper sun deck as part of Movies Under the Stars

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Every ship in the fleet has at least one large pool or two smaller pools, as well as four to six hot tubs

• Kids' pool or splash pool on all ships

• Eight ships have pool and water slide combos; six of these have multi-slide Aqua Parks

• Pool decks are mostly for lounging around but on hot-weather cruises there's always some poolside fun to be had

Princess Cruises

• All ships have jogging tracks and shuffleboard; most also have a basketball court

• All ships have a golf area, which might have a practice cage or a nine-hole putting course

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Every ship has a basketball court; most also have golf driving nets and a handful have mini golf

• Nine ships have rock climbing walls; six also have a ropes course and The Plank that allows you to walk out over the edge of the ship while tethered.

• Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Encore, Norwegian Prima, and the upcoming Norwegian Viva have a two-level Go-Kart racing track, plus an outdoor laser tag course; both cost extra to use

Princess Cruises

• Daily fun includes trivia, arts and crafts, bingo, dance classes and Voice of the Ocean rehearsals (a singing competition created via a partnership with TV's "The Voice")

• Destination-specific lectures and enrichment programs on itineraries in Alaska, Asia, Europe and the South Pacific

• Several ships in the fleet have a multi-deck piazza-style atrium, a hub for dining and entertainment

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Daytime indoor fun (free and for-a-fee) includes dance classes, bingo, trivia and the interactive "Deal or No Deal" show, as well as beer and wine tastings

• Select ships offer full-size or miniature bowling

• Several ships have a free circus-themed escape room experience; participants must work together to solve puzzles and "escape" within a specified time frame

• Several ships have a wall-sized Wii screen in the atrium for group Wii play

Princess Cruises

• Select ships feature a made-for-Princess theater shows

• All ships have musical revue-style shows, as well as intermittent comedy and magic acts

• Piano and small act music shows or DJs available nightly in just about every bar and lounge

• Vines wine bar, with its sizeable list of varietals, is the spot for a late-night glass of wine or a wine-and-chocolate pairing

• All ships have a late-night dance club

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Full-length Broadway productions in the theaters

• All ships offer comedy acts at least once per sailing, with some ships featuring nightly shows in a dedicated comedy club

• Every ship in the fleet features musical revue-style song-and-dance theater shows

• Newer ships also feature alternative wine- or cocktail-focused theater shows or dinner/theater shows, for an extra fee

• All ships have at least eight to 10 bars and lounges

Princess Cruises

• Three kids’ clubs for smaller kids, tweens and teens

• Kid-centric shipboard and shore excursion programs for children themed around Discovery Channel TV shows including Discovery, Animal Planet, the Learning Channel and the Science Channel

• All ships have a kids' splash pool

• DIY laundry rooms for easy cleaning of kids' clothing

• Select ships have two-room family suites

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Kids' programming is divided into four groups: ages 3 to 5, 6 to 9, 10 to 12, and 13 to 17

• The Guppies program on all ships offers scheduled programming for parents and their babies or toddlers, ages 6- 36 months; Norwegian Escape and Bliss have a Guppies Nursery where parents can drop off their babies for babysitting

• Family accommodation options include suites, oceanview cabins, balconies and inside rooms

Princess Cruises

• Provides a refined, somewhat traditional cruise experience that includes main dining rooms, limited specialty restaurants and song-and-dance revue evening shows

• Limited innovations on the newest ships include the SeaWalk, a see-through glass walkway suspended off one side of the ship 16 decks above the water

• Medallion Class cruising includes wearable technology for contactless payments and even locating loved ones

Norwegian Cruise Line

• Water parks, ropes courses, laser tag, Broadway shows and the innovative alfresco dining area, The Waterfront are among the innovations found only on the newest ships

• The newest ships have full-scale Go-Kart racetracks

• Historically, has been a line unafraid to experiment with dining, pricing, entertainment and design